Changes of the family in the 20th century

: This article deals with the changes in socialisation patterns and adaptation to the conditions imposed by society, in internal familiar structures, and in the general attitude to life, that took place in the course of our present century. The empirical basis of this study was supplied by an investigation conducted with students of medicine representing three generations, i.e. persons born in 1905, 1934 and 1962. Against the background of the sociocultural and economic developments that took place in the Federal Republic of Germany, emphasis is on the following points: 1. The father of the family has been deprived of his power, and women have developed a new self-understanding; 2. the generation barriers are no longer impenetrable; 3. the family as such has lost a great deal of its functional importance due to the institutionalisation of care and welfare aspects.